5 Reasons Sherlock Is Better Than Elementary (& 5 Elementary Is Better)

The adventures of one of the greatest fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes, have made for some fascinating adaptations on the silver screen. The stories offer a treasure trove of source material to writers and showrunners and have inspired some pretty outstanding modern-day reboots in recent years.

One of the most popular reboots of Conan Doyle’s Holmes has been the BBC crime drama Sherlock, which has gained unprecedented acknowledgment worldwide. But there is another, more low profile adaptation, Elementary, that premiered in 2012 and went on to have seven seasons on CBS. Let us find out the ways in which one series one-ups the other and vice versa.

10 SHERLOCK: The Series Sticks Closer To Canon

For traditionalists, the BBC series might be more acceptable given that it pays more direct homage to Conan Doyle’s stories, whereas the references to the canon in Elementary are even more tangential.

For instance, the Sherlock writers and showrunners often take inspiration from actual stories or novels from the canon to name their episodes, and while they might twist it a little and the content of the episodes could be different from the original, the viewer at least knows which story or stories are being re-imagined. For Conan Doyle fans, understanding the references could be important to their experience.

9 ELEMENTARY: Sherlock Holmes Is More Emotionally Vulnerable

Johnny Lee Miller’s Sherlock is more of an emotionally vulnerable person than Cumberbatch’s. He is shown to have been deeply affected by the presumed murder of the woman he loved and was also clearly attached to his mother for whose untimely passing he squarely blames his father.

Sherlock is also obviously hurt when he realizes that his brother, and later on, his father have both fallen prey to foul prey. Moreover, the concern he feels for Watson, his former apprentice Kitty Winter, and his friends at NYPD, demonstrates a vulnerability that is not quite so pronounced in the character’s BBC counterpart. In fact, if he starts out as emotionally unavailable, then that is most likely because he has been hurt by those he loved, leading him to develop a defense mechanism to deal with disappointments.

8 SHERLOCK: The Show Is Faster Paced

Because of the relatively fewer episodes per season and only 4 seasons, Sherlock is able to keep its plots tighter than Elementary which has over 20 episodes per season for 7 seasons.

The pace of the episodes in Sherlock does not falter for even a moment and the audience stays glued to the screen without their attention waning. With relatively fewer characters to deal with and very sharp writing, the show is able to maintain its impact across episodes.

7 ELEMENTARY: Holmes Acknowledges His Physicality

Unlike Holmes in Sherlock whose sexuality remains somewhat mysterious, Holmes in Elementary is a more physical being, although that makes him farther removed from the canon.

Sherlock here frequently engages in sexual activity; in fact, he even gets rather experimental during his numerous sexual misadventures, although they are strictly meant to fulfill the body’s needs and nothing more profound. However, he does acknowledge the role of physicality in a relationship, having been physically close to Irene Adler, for whom he actually developed feelings.

6 SHERLOCK: The Drama Is Better Conceived

No reboot of Sherlock Holmes, however modern, is complete without making good use of the vast scope of drama offered on a platter by the canon itself, involving “The Final Problem”, where the detective is presumed dead, even by his closest confidant, and then makes a grand return in “The Empty House”.

Sherlock takes full advantage of the death and return of Holmes, with some fantastic humor woven into the moment Holmes reveals himself to Watson. There is also some beautiful comedy surrounding the various theories and speculations doing the rounds regarding how the detective managed to pull off such a feat and stay alive. Elementary does have its own version of the final problem, but somehow the drama never takes off, and there is very little humor involved since Watson knows about the fake death all along.

5 ELEMENTARY: Holmes’ Addiction Does Not Supplement His Powers

Holmes has been a raging heroin addict and is trying to kick the habit when the first season premieres. His addiction is a real struggle for him, and one that would always define him. In fact, Watson first comes across Sherlock as his ‘sober companion’, i.e. a kind of coach or companion who helps a person through recovery.

In Sherlock, the detective indulges in temporary stupors every now and then, and his addiction is even shown to enhance his deductive powers, but the CBS drama takes a more hands-on approach discouraging any kind of addiction at every step.

4 SHERLOCK: Fans Are Taken Back In Time

Fans get to savor the actual historical period the original canon was set in. Released as a Christmas special, “The Abominable Bride” takes the audience back to the 19th century into the dark, almost gothic ambiance that Conan Doyle’s stories are known to exude.

The episode has all the trademark humor of the series, with some pertinent commentary thrown in on the astonishingly smug and toxic social attitude towards women at the time. It’s a double bonanza for those who adore a good thriller and a fun period drama. Elementary, unfortunately, never gives its audience a peek into the time the stories are set in.

3 ELEMENTARY: The Series Is More Empowering

If there is anything remiss in Conan Doyle’s stories, which Sherlock does follow to some extent, it is the lack of female presence in important roles. Elementary takes a more empowering approach, assigning pivotal roles to strong female actors.

Not only is John Watson, Sherlock’s friend, and trusted lieutenant, gender-swapped into Joan Watson, played to perfection by actress Lucy Liu, but Holmes’ nemesis James Moriarty has become Jamie Moriarty, played by Natalie Dormer.

2 SHERLOCK: The Series Boasts Of A Better Villain

A good hero needs an even better villain, and Sherlock does just that. In fact, Jim Moriarty, the gleefully eccentric criminal mastermind, played with alacrity by Andrew Scott became quite as iconic as Sherlock Holmes himself.

Unlike Elementary, which never had a significant villain to speak of, and had to rely on seasonal antagonists to build the drama, Sherlock had a powerful and much-adored antagonist who was missed immensely after he was killed off in season 2, and whose legacy remains one of the most popular aspects of the show today.

1 ELEMENTARY: Law Enforcement Is Given Due Credit

The representatives of the law in the Sherlock Holmes stories have always acted as mere tools to highlight the detective’s phenomenal deductive skills. It’s practically tradition for them to ask Sherlock to explain literally everything t them.

However, in the Johnny Lee Miller starrer, the police are given due credit for their work; they are far from imbeciles and quite competent in what they do. They also appreciate the help they receive from the consulting detectives, instead of constantly treating them with skepticism and refusing to acknowledge their contributions during investigations.

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